Thanks to GamesBeat, we got word from the official Apex Legends developer Respawn Entertainment talking about the game's monetization. Apex Legends is taking an "ethical form" of monetization, the company does not want to sell items that affect gameplay. Here is the design director for Apex Legends, Mackey McCandlish, talking more about it.
"We’re not pay-for-power. We’re a very ethical form of monetization, where we’re giving away a lot of cosmetics that you don’t even have to pay for. If you do want to buy, you can directly buy, from the store, a limited-time item. You can earn the characters in the game or you can buy them. We’re shipping with eight. Six are free and two are earnable. It’s a balancing act, but we knew we didn’t want to be pay-for-power, pay-to-win.
I think we’ve demonstrated with our previous games that we care about having an ethical, transparent relationship with the consumer. We did free DLC maps for Titanfall 2. When the competition was already going pay-for-power back then, we didn’t do that. I think this continues that trend, and I think it’s true to Respawn’s ideals of having a fair relationship with the consumer."
The company has indeed featured a monetization system that does not allow players to get an advantage over their opponents. The items players can purchase have always been cosmetic or other things that do not affect gameplay.
McClandish also spoke about the possibility of crossplay in the game. This has been a popular theme with players since one of the most successful games has implemented it, Fortnite. Here is what McCandlish had to say about the matter.
"At launch we’re on Xbox One, PlayStation 4, and PC. They play independently with their own independent progression. But they’re playing the same game. We’re not cross-platform at launch. It’s definitely an area of opportunity."
Check out the full interview in the Venture Beat website, McCandlish breakds down the game and answer a ton of questions from the Beat team. For more on Apex Legends keep it here.
Conquer with character in Apex Legends, a free-to-play* Battle Royale shooter where legendary characters with powerful abilities team up to battle for fame & fortune on the fringes of the Frontier. Master an ever-growing roster of diverse Legends, deep tactical squad play and bold new innovations that level up the Battle Royale experience—all within a rugged world where anything goes. Welcome to the next evolution of Battle Royale.
Apex Legends is out for the PC, PS4 and Xbox One